The present invention relates generally to disk storages, and more particularly to a disk storage having a front loading structure. The term "a front loading structure", as used herein, means a structure in which a disk is inserted and loaded in a storage body via a front surface of the storage body.
The conventional optical disk storage comprises, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a disk tray 1 and a storage body 2. Since this disk storage has the front loading structure, the optical disk is moved in a direction A.sub.2 with respect to a front surface 2a of the storage body 2 to be loaded therein. The disk tray 1 slides between a first position shown in FIG. 1A and a second position shown in FIG. 1B in a direction A. When the disk tray 1 is located at the first position, the optical disk is loaded in the storage body 2 and the information is recorded thereon and reproduced therefrom by the storage body 2. On the other hand, when the disk tray 1 is located at the second position, the optical disk is positioned on and/or ejected from a disk table of the disk tray 1. The disk tray 1 slides through an opening 2a.sub.1 in the front surface 2a in the direction A via a load/eject button mounted on the front surface 2a. When the disk tray 1 is located at the first position, as shown in FIG. 1A, there is an aperture 4 between a front panel 1a and the opening 2a.sub.1. Incidentally, the storage body 2 is enclosed so as to prevent dust from entering therein.
However, the above conventional optical disk storage has disadvantages. That is, dust enters via the aperture 4 into the storage body 2, and thus the optical disk gets damaged, an internal circuit is shorted out and/or the life of each part becomes shortened. On the other hand, since the aperture 4 is an idle space necessary for the disk tray 1 to smoothly slide through the opening 2a.sub.1, the aperture 4 cannot be removed or even made smaller.